Running
by Redeh
Summary: It's the anniversary... Again. This time, Leo has some friends to worry about! Or, maybe they'll worry about him. Leo breaks something to his friends, but will it end smoothly? Or are they going to be having some problems? *Two shot!* (IN PREP/CELEBRATION FOR MOA!)
1. Chapter 1

Leo glared at the red numbers on his digital clock.

11:49

The little clock was the only thing lit up in the dark space of Bunker 9, and even this miniscule light shadowed the massive frame of the Argo II, completed only just this morning.

It had been harrowing to complete the massive Greek trireme, full of sleepless nights and a lack for lunch breaks. Or dinner and breakfast breaks. If Leo had to keep going longer, he would've snapped under the pressure. Annabeth yelled at him every night until it was done, yelled at him all day long when Gaea messed with the engine, and had yelled at him when he'd given the rest of the Hephaesteus Cabin a break. Only once, though. Only once. Annabeth quickly realized you don't mess with Leo's family.

That was a lesson she'd learned the hard way. Being a daughter of Athena, you'd think Annabeth knew better. She didn't. Annabeth had been in a complete rage about it when a flaming hammer smacked the stone cliff a whole centimeter from her face, earning the cliff some solid cracks and a solid span of charred rock. Leo believed that was the first argument she ever lost where the other person never said a word.

When Piper had fussed at him, saying that he could've set the place ablaze, he'd realized it could've been a replay of nine years ago. And Leo, still pretty angry, had chucked yet another hammer at her. Though, it wasn't on fire or anything, but Piper was quick enough to dodge the three-pound hammer sailing towards her face. Piper refused to talk to him after that incident, and it'd been two weeks.

Leo had managed to get the point across. In no time, the whole camp was buzzing about it, and Nyssa had given him a famous flying-tackle hug. Nobody messes with Leo's family.

Then, Jason, who'd heard the story from Annabeth, and then heard the story from Piper, had refused to talk to him also. It had taken Piper, Annabeth, Connor, and Travis to keep him from running straight to Bunker 9. Jake and Shane had fun telling him that one.

Chiron still couldn't give him kitchen duty, because he hadn't finished the boat.

Everybody had marveled at how angry he had to be to threaten the dream-team girls at camp, at least, everybody except his siblings. They noticed his growing tendency to flare up, the most stressful being between Leo and Spencer, the egomaniac Apollo kid. Leo had pulled a spontaneous combustion and burst into flames. Leo, being Leo, had quickly put them out and yelled, "Awkward!"

But the idea still dragged on Leo's thoughts. Suddenly, Leo's control over his ability had diminished. First, the machine shop fire, then the ice bridge melted, Spencer, and the flaming hammer incident. Leo was positively terrified.

Though, that wasn't the main reason he was so irritable and short-tempered lately.

And what was? Leo had become aware of the calendar. Nine years ago, ten minutes from now, was the day his mother died. No wonder his control was practically zero. The closer the anniversary got, the more rageful Leo became.

It was natural for him now. He was the Supreme Commander of Idiocy. Honestly, what kind of superior idiot accidentally kills their own mom? Just because they were scared?

Leo.

Then, how messed up do you have to be to run away from it?

You have to be as messed up as Leo.

So, in eight minutes, Leo will lock himself up and begin a lapse of absolute rage. He'll start burning, and then he'll be on fire for the rest of the day. That's just how it worked.

Unfortunate fact? He was supposed to go sail to some Roman camp to meet motherfreaking Percy Jackson, go save the freaking world, and most likely get stuck driving the ultimate Greek war trireme of couples. _How wonderful. It's going to be romance drama. We officially made re-run of Twilight, _Leo thought sarcastically.

Looking up, he checked the small digital clock, red light glaring off the metal work table.

11:54

Leo's palms started sweating. Six minutes. Six minutes. It replayed in his mind like a dying echo. Only six minutes until then. Leo could already feel the bile rising in his throat. _Why? Why was I so stupid? Of all the things I could have burned down, why did it have to be the machine shop? Why not a tree? Or a wooden pole? Or, just, something else! _Leo thought despairingly. Anxiously, he started pacing between the metal scraps, discarded tools, and tables. Leo felt like he was waiting for something to happen, something inexplicable and probably life-threatening, to happen. He just had no idea what.

Bracing his hands on the Argo II, he stared at the rocky ground. Metal scraps, motor oil, and probably some broken tools lay discarded around the ship. An interesting song he'd heard chanted into his head, but it didn't make him feel any better.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

Leo really didn't listen to that stuff; he'd only heard it a couple of months ago when Nico di Angelo blasted it from the stereo in the Big House during a meeting. Apparently that was what sons of Hades listened to. Seemed legit.

Leo remembered the hot, fiery feeling he got from hearing the words. He almost laughed and said, "That's easy. Anybody up for a good roasting? I'll guarantee you'll hit the floor." But he didn't. It scared him how much he wanted to say that. Since then, the only music Leo listened to were CD's by The Rolling Stones, his mom's favorite band.

Thinking of his mom, how she loved to listen to The Rolling Stones while she worked, how she dreamed of opening up a company, how she'd strived for a better life... It brought tears to his eyes, because he was the reason she wasn't here.

Piper talked freely about her dad, Tristan McLean, and all the fun times they'd shared. Jason talked about how he'd wished he'd known his mom. Annabeth talked about how her dad came across Celestial Bronze bullets and saved her life once. Grover talked about his satyr parents and how they always took away his cheese enchiladas.

The Hephaesteus Cabin didn't really say much about their parents. According to them, they never really had, but Leo suspected they didn't want to hurt him. Of course, they didn't know how his mom had died.

11:56

Leo took up his angsty pacing again. Now, only four minutes until midnight.

Leo, trying to keep his mind occupied, thought of cussing out Gaea. Leo had come up with some pretty interesting stuff when there was a nervous knock on the door. Leo jumped about six feet in the air. simultaneously causing flames to spark up on his palms, and Leo to yelp. Leo mentally kicked himself. Another knock, much harsher this time, pounded on the door.

"Open up. Piper, Jason, Thalia, and Annabeth here refuse to talk to you, so it's just a warning." Travis's sounded through the cliff wall.

Leo mentally cursed Gaea on the highest level possible. Leo wanted somebody to blame, so he just blamed Snow White. Or, Snow White's evil twin sister. Gaea wasn't exactly a Disney princess.

"Oh, come on, we're tired and we need to plan. Chiron's making you come," Connor's voice now came through the door. Leo's eyes landed on his alarm clock.

11:58

Two minutes. Two freaking minutes. Leo was really starting to flip out now. An angsty fire danced along his arms, and panic was stirring inside. The anger that had slowly built up over the weeks peaked.

"OPEN THE DOOR ALREADY! HERMES ALMIGHTY, OPEN THE DOOR!" Travis shouted. Leo's hands formed into fists. A long silence followed. _Er, maybe not so long, _Leo thought.

The alarm clock read,

11:59

"Nyssa said you were here! Come on! The harpies won't wait forever, you know!" Connor yelled. Mutters, sighs, and whispers echoed when he didn't answer.

Slowly, silently, Leo sank to his knees, arms still flaming. He stared up at the clock. Leo felt the need to throttle something. Not _something, someone. _And he was debating between himself, Gaea, or Spencer. He decided upon a double win with Gaea and Spencer, even though Leo deserved the worst possible torment from the Furies. Alecto would certainly have some fun.

"Charmspeak him."

"No. I refuse to speak to him after what he did." Presumably Piper answered.

"Come on. Seriously? Honestly, I think he was right to throw a hammer or something! I would've pranked your cabin nonstop! Have you even payed attention to how hard Cabin 9 has been working? Really, I think you're not mad at Leo at all. I think you just don't want to lose an argument, and your friends here don't want to rile you up." Travis complained crossly.

"Exactly." Connor agreed.

"Leo had no right-" Jason was cut off by the slam of a metal table against the ground. Leo, who'd forgotten his on fire status, had gripped the metal leg of the table and melted straight through it. _Good thing there was nothing on it, _Leo thought.

"What was that?" A grumpy Annabeth asked.

"The nutjob is in there, obviously." Thalia grumbled.

"Well, um, can you persuade him to come out?" A nervous Grover asked, "You do have some daggers on your belts."

"Travis." Annabeth ordered. A loud sigh was heard.

"This is so stupid." Conner grumbled.

"Leo, Annabeth and Piper will run you through with some very sharp daggers if you don't come out _this instance." _Travis said.

"Good job Trav." Piper said in a sweet tone. _Ah, the effects of charmspeak._ Leo thought, sighing. He'd forgotten to be silent.

"Yeah, person who sighed just now, COME OUT OF THE BUNKER!" Connor yelled.

Leo's thoughts went to his mom. Honestly, he didn't know how, but Leo blamed the ADHD. A stab of pain pierced his heart. Mentally cursing himself, he stood shakily and stumbled to the cliff wall. He slammed a fist onto the cold stone.

Immediately the stone heated up, and red lines drew across the surface, making a huge door. An angry group of people stood there glaring at him.

"Well, finally." Connor griped.

"What took so long?" Travis asked. Leo didn't answer.

Piper turned to Connor. "Can we leave now?"

"Nope." Connor popped the 'p'. "Chiron wants all the counselors to come to a meeting. Does going to a Roman camp mean anything to you?"

"Camp Jupiter." Jason corrected.

"Let's go to the meeting." Annabeth snapped. They turned to leave, but Leo didn't follow.

"Not this again." Travis groaned.

"Why are you still on fire?" Grover queried. Leo didn't answer.

"Are you mute or something? Come on, I'm grumpy and tired." Connor complained.

"Usually he talks too much. This is a nice change." Thalia jeered at him, but the words were directed to Annabeth. Annabeth laughed and whispered something back. _Crafty wordsmithing, _Leo thought. His hands sparked.

"You're going to hurt the dryads." Grover shifted nervously, no doubt thinking what a wildfire would do to Juniper.

"There's a reason I'm here in the middle of the night. Shut up and go without me." Leo snapped. Harsh. Grover flinched.

"As much as we'd love to go without Leo." Piper muttered.

"Why?" Travis raised an eyebrow. Leo sighed. It reminded him of his mom, whenever he'd asked who his dad was. The thought made him want to crawl into the nearest hole and die very painfully.

"You wouldn't know." Leo retorted. "Leave. Like, now."

"Leo, Chiron decided the meeting is tonight." Jason chided. Piper crossed her arms.

"I didn't decide to do this tonight." Leo shot back.

"I give up!" Piper raised her arms in the air, "Leo Valdez. You are coming with us. Now."

Leo smirked when his mind remained clear. "Yo, Beauty Queen, charmspeak ain't gonna work tonight. You picked wrong." Piper glared at him.

"You are coming. Now." She growled.

Leo was starting to get exasperated. "Bye," He growled, slamming the rock door closed.

"LEO VALDEZ!" Piper yelled.

Leo didn't answer, but he continued to stare at the alarm clock before him.

"Come on Piper. He surely has a reason to be here." Jason chided his girlfriend. Leo listened to the group's footsteps retreating. He heard somebody mumble something.

A long silence lapsed. Leo was overwrought now, pacing nonstop and kicking metal scraps. Imagining cursing Gaea, his psychotic babysitter, the Fates. Yes, he even cursed the Fates. Leo jumped and careened into the half-melted table when he heard a voice.

"Leo, are you okay?"

It was Jason.

"Fine." Leo croaked. He mentally whacked himself with a hammer. Here he was, on fire, on the anniversary of his mother's death that was totally his fault, slamming into half melted tables at 12:25 in the morning.

"Leo, I know what this is about. Maybe if you talked about it-?" Jason let the option hang.

"Nah, I'm good." Leo answered with fake cheeriness.

"Leo, that was so fake." Jason laughed. Leo chuckled a bit, too. Though most of his laughs are fake. A comfortable silence lapsed. Leo though about the night during a thunderstorm, when he'd had a conversation through a doorway with his mother...

"Leo, I'm worried. Piper is, too- she's just mad about the hammer. I know you'd never hurt her on purpose." Jason paused, sighing, "You've barely slept - or ate - since you began building the Argo. You started to get angrier, and I thought it was the pressure, but then you blew up at Spencer..."

"Yeah. I tend to get mad tonight. I'm actually on fire at the moment." Leo agreed. Jason chuckled nervously.

"But, listen- Chiron doesn't want us to go to the Roman camp in the morning. He wants to give you some time to rest before... Before we set off."

"I know, Sparky. He told me." Leo replied.

"You know, it's started to rain, and I'm cold. So I was wondering?"

"Ha. Funny, I feel like a furnace. Come on in." Leo swung the massive door open to reveal a soaking Jason in a blue T-shirt and jeans.

"You look like a furnace." Jason agreed. They laughed.

"You look freezing." Leo jeered.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"It's getting awkward being the only light in here, so," Leo flung his flaming hand out towards the fire pit in the corner, "Ta-dah."

Jason pulled up a chair from the collapsed metal table. "That's what made the bang."

Leo nodded. "It was, like, 11:59, and I was sort of freaking out."

Jason regarded him curiously. "Why were you freaking out?"

Leo's expression darkened. "Anniversary."

Jason looked away, ears pink. "Sorry," He mumbled.

"It's okay. It gets worse tomorrow -no, tonight." Leo mentioned.

Jason nodded. "I get that."

They went into a comfortable silence. It seemed they were doing that a lot, but Leo actually appreciated it. It was comforting to know he didn't have to talk all the time tonight, like usual, but he could just enjoy a friend's presence. Leo found himself staring at the fire, memories flicking faster than the orange curls of flame.

"Okay... That's not creepy..." Jason lightly.

Leo snapped out of his dream-like trance. "Huh?"

Jason laughed. "You were staring at it." Leo felt his cheeks get hot. Suddenly, Leo felt those tears threatening to break the floodbarrier push harder. Leo blinked and looked away. How _easy, _how _fragile _happiness was. It was easy for most, but hard for Leo. Fragile for all.

Leo felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Jason asked.

"Fine." Leo simply replied.

Jason stood, his soggy clothes leaving droplets of water on the floor, and pressed his ear to the wall. Shaking his head, Jason grumbled, "It sounds worse. Zeus must not be having a good night." Thunder rolled in response. "I stand by my previous statement." Cue more thunder.

Leo chuckled. "You two sound like lawyers. Justifying Zeus's current temper tantrum."

"I'm not a lawyer." Jason complained.

"It's the ADHD." Leo justified.

"I noticed." Jason rolled his two of them, sitting by the fire, came to a somewhat tense silence. Leo himself was flitting through memories of mom, tears trying to flood out of his eyes. Jason looked like he was trying to figure out something.

"Why so much silence?" The son of Jupiter asked.

Leo shrugged. "Memories." A look of understanding crossed Jason's face. Of course, Jason would be able to understand a flood of memories. He'd had all his memories taken away.

"Leo, you know it's okay if- if you wanted to tell me, like, you know..." Jason trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

Pain shot his heart. What would his friends think of him, if they knew he'd killed his mom?

Leo sighed. "I guess I owe you an explanation."

Jason looked relieved. "I didn't want to make you mad or anything."

"Nah, you only get the flaming hammer treatment if you mess with my family." Leo joked.

"Point taken." Jason said. Leo laughed.

"So... I'm going to volunteer you as tribute to go wake up Piper." Leo, once again, joked.

"Gee. Thanks. Visit me in the infirmary, will you?" Jason rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Got it. I'm not going to bring you flowers, but I'mma point and laugh."

"So comforting." Jason muttered. Swinging the rock door open, he stepped out into the rain.

Leo set his elbows on his knees and rubbed his hands together. He felt like Sherlock Holmes, trying to figure something out, but Nyssa always called him the Flaming Holmes. Or Fire Boy.

How am I going to do this?

How do you tell your best friends you killed your mom with your mutant fire powers? No, your demigodly powers?

All too soon, a very thoroughly drenched couple had come in beside him, after knocking on the cliff.

"The harpies really don't like me." Piper griped. She looked disgruntled, hair flying out in every direction, sneakers, torn through jeans, gray T-shirt, and black snowboarding jacket completely drenched.

Jason chuckled tersely. "They chased us to the beach. We barely got to the forest."

"Ha! Chiron's going to kill you." Leo mocked.

"Not if you clarify what we were doing." Piper raised her chocolate-brown eyebrows.

Leo looked to the ground. He still hadn't figured out what to say. "Um..." When he looked up, Piper had a guilty expression.

"Sorry... I just wasn't thinking-"

"You're fine! It's just... me." Leo chastised

"Leo, you don't have too..." Jason trailed off.

"I kind of owe it to , you two have told me stuff you know about your pasts, right? And I never told you. So, I think I should." Leo rambled.

"No, you don't have to, but if you insist." Leo could tell from the somewhat hopeful look that flashed across her face that she really wanted to help. Leo wasn't going to tell Piper 'no'.

"I-I killed my mom." Leo's voice cracked, "On accident."

Piper frowned. Leo just knew it, he just knew they'd storm away and throw him out of camp, or something irrational and painful that causes his death, and then he'd go to the Fields of Punishment with the Furies, and then endure endless torture... Leo's thoughts continued on for a couple more seconds in long run-on sentences before he realized he was overreacting. This is Piper and Jason! Sure, strangers would throw him out, but not his two best friends! Hopefully.

"Being a son of the fire god seems like a sick joke." Leo grumbled, "Because I killed my mom with fire." Once again, Leo's voice cracked hoarsely. Leo stared at his cursed hands, to avoid looking at his friends' shocked faces.

"She left something in the shop. G-Gaea came out, and she said something about breaking my s-spirit, and tried to k-kill her." Leo choked up a bit, "But I was startled. I-I started the fire. Even if Gaea had killed my mom, from what Medea said, I was s-still the reason she died.G-Gaea came after me."

When he looked up, he saw shocked looks on their faces. Leo's hands set themselves ablaze. Yelping, and mentally slapping himself, he forced the fire to go out.

"Sorry," Leo mumbled.

"Leo-" Piper cut herself off. Leo didn't think she had anything to say. Jason seemed to have lockjaw.

Piper sighed. "So, this is why you don't like your abilities, huh?"

"Yeah." Leo croaked.

Jason, recovering from speechless spanse, said, "Leo, it's not your fault. The only blame can be put on the Fates."

"But the Fates made me out to be the one to start the fire, right? So, in every way possible, it is my fault."

Piper joined in. "No, it's not. If she hadn't gone in-"

"It's not her fault. It never was her fault. It will never be her fault." Leo growled.

"Leo, come on-"

"No," Leo refused, "Just leave."

"Leo-" Jason protested.

"Leave."

"Leo! You've stopped running now! It's okay to tell people what happened! It's easier to share a burden with others." Piper reasoned.

Leo whipped around, angry fire lighting behind his eyes. "How do you know that I've stopped running?"

**A/N: So, I ended it suddenly to really catch the point, but I don't think I pulled this one off very well. In all honesty, I think it sucks. Tell me what you think, and as for other one shots, I'm planning a Leyna songfic one shot. I had an idea, so... I'm just going to go with it. I hope you enjoyed this!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I feel so appreciated! *throws cookies to everybody* I REPLACED THE GODDESS OF HAPPINESS! Guess what? I FINISHED THE MOA. YIPEEEEEE! 'Tis amazing. **

**Hawkeh, little vivid there. Tsk, tsk. GET AN FF ACCOUNT ALREADY! GAH! SHRIMPZILLA! (I know Hawkeh personally.)**

Jason Grace was the perfect soldier. He'd trained for a decade in a Roman army, and had risen up to lead that army. He'd fought Titans, angry daughters of Bellona, koolaid hyped demigods, slain sea monsters, and had angry goddesses breathing down his neck.

Nothing knocked the breath out of him quite the way Leo's words had.

Jason never knew anybody could hide emotions so _well_, as to have nobody guess them. How could somebody so _happy, _happy enough to be the clown of Camp Half-Blood, be so _sad_?

Jason really wished he could read people better. He might've been able to cheer Leo up. Somehow.

Leo was Jason's best friend - how had he not noticed? Couldn't he have put the pieces together?

Died in a fire... a fire user... sparked from fear... Medea's words...

Jason felt like a class A idiot.

"Leo..." Piper breathed, and she must've been just as shocked as Jason. Piper bore a resemblance to what a Cherokee owl would look like.

"Come on man -" Jason cut short. Leo's expression said everything.

It wasn't an expression Jason thought Leo would ever have. Leo, the joking son Hephaesteus? Nah, never. That's what Jason would tell you before tonight. Leo's eyes resembled fire directly - burning with such hopeless rage and a want for revenge they looked more orange than brown. Leo wasn't even looking in their direction, either. Leo was staring at the ground, angry at Jason and wanting revenge on Gaea.

Jason's fingers curled into a fist in his jacket pocket.

If not for Gaea, Leo could've had a better life.

Piper could've had a better life.

Everybody could've had a better life.

Jason felt quite useless. Here he was, the supposed leader, not able to do anything. Again with the class A idiocy.

"L-Leo," Piper began, voice shaking. "What d-do you mean?"

"I mean what I said." Leo mumbled. He really didn't look too happy with the two of them.

"Why would - Why would you run away from Camp Half-Blood?" Jason asked nervously.

Leo sighed. Walking away from the table before him, he headed toward the Argo II, slightly stomping. Jason jogged after him.

"Leo!" Piper called.

Jason stopped Leo by gripping his unnaturally bony shoulders. _Woah, _Jason thought, and let go quickly. Leo was short, barely reaching Jason's shoulders. But, then again, Jason was a taller than most people. Leo's face was hollow - maybe even gaunt - and his eyes had dark purple circles ringing the bottom from the sleepless nights of working on the Argo II. Even thin and short as he was, his presence at the moment was still intimidating. His eyes held that firelit glow they always had, but with some hopelessness evident.

Leo Valdez had run himself into the ground making a warship to save the world and a demigod he didn't even know. And his two best friends hadn't even noticed. Jason felt a rush of sympathy and guilt. And the need to throttle this Percy Jackson, whoever he was.

"Leo." Piper spoke calmly, forcing back charmspeak like Jason would force back a shaky voice. "Why would you keep running?"

Leo shrugged and looked at the ground.

"Why would you not know?" Piper eased her voice so if was comforting, but not in a girlfriend - ish way. More like what a sister would say, like the way Thalia comforted Jason at times. It gave him reason to feel affectionate for his sister.

"I do know, I just..." Leo trailed off, looking up from the ground, eyes darting between Jason, Piper, and the Argo. If Leo got in the Argo, they'd never find out what he meant. There were so many places Leo could disappear it made Jason think Leo built it specifically so he could hide.

"Leo, it's okay. Stay at Camp Half-Blood, where... where there are people who care about you. You don't have to run from us!" Jason protested.

"T-That's the point!" Leo's voice cracked. "I-I don't want to..."

"Leo," Piper comforted gently, "You don't want to what?"

"I don't want to hurt anybody... I don't want anything to burn down, like the machine shop did." Leo whispered, eyes wide and staring at the floor.

Jason put the pieces together with a jolt. Running... anger... fire... fear... Leo wasn't enraged because of anybody else. Not even Gaea. He was angry with himself. He was scared of the power that had saved Jason's and Piper's lives, because that power could just as easily take them out by accident. Leo was scared of his mistakes.

Leo had run away six times, and that makes six times Leo had tried to run from himself.

Jason and Piper shared a long look. Her multicolored eyes glistened with unshed tears, and Jason knew she'd put it together too. Jason still thought Piper McLean was a knockout. Having watched her fight monsters, Piper really was a knockout.

"Leo..." Piper whispered, "You can't run forever. You have to know that. Just- just stay here." Piper pleaded.

"I've got friends for the first time... and a family for the first time since I was seven. I don't want to hurt you." Leo started backing up, like a cornered animal might. Never afraid to fight but filled with the need to run.

Jason stepped forward. His turn. "Please, man, stay. Now that you know you're a demigod, the monsters will be after you. Some of them are immune to fire, too. Like Ma Gasket. Gaea will be after you, because you're one of the seven. We need you here."

Leo looked at the Argo II. "Jason, what if? What if I happen to blow up one day and kill people? You have no idea what it's like to be so unpredictable you can't predict yourself."

What? Leo couldn't predict himself? Jason felt blind. Sure, give him a sword and he can guess a monster's movements. Reading people? Uh, no. Where could he find the nearest monster to send to Tartarus?

"You're absolutely right. I have no idea what that feels like. But I do understand unpredictability, Leo, and we can help." Jason stated firmly. He clung to the idea that Leo would stay.

"How?" Leo croaked.

Piper let a small smile out on her gorgeous face - suddenly Jason felt obsessive and stalker like - and said, "For one, we could make sure to keep you calm. You know, the typical. I could use charmspeak if you wanted me too."

Leo looked hopeful, for the first time in a long time. Though, his face was still sunken in, and the dark bags under his eyes only seemed to get darker. His bony shoulders jutted out, and it made Jason's heart wrench. He swore he was blind. Jason should've noticed!

"Thanks." Leo mumbled, hid long-fingered and bony hands shaking.

"You should've told us sooner." Piper chided.

Leo looked at the floor for the umpteenth time. "I'm sorry."

"No! I didn't mean that. You just should've told us the story, because maybe we could've helped. Leo, I could have stopped Annabeth, and I could have not talked to you that way. It was rude, and I'm sorry." Piper corrected.

"S'okay." Leo said.

"I'm sorry, too." Jason apologized. He felt guilty for never noticing Leo more. It felt wrong, to just never notice your best friend for who they really are. Again, Jason was a class A idiot. Maybe class A plus.

"None of you did anything." Leo chastised.

"We did!" Piper argued.

"No, you didn't." Leo retorted.

Jason glanced at the clock. _2:30? Good gods, we're going to be some exhausted campers tomorrow._

"Come on, Leo! You know we did." Piper shot back.

"Chiron's going to flay us. We should get to bed." Jason stalled the argument.

"Yeah." Piper readily agreed.

Jason looked to Leo, who looked exhausted beyond measure.

Leo shook his head. "I have to do a run through of the ship. I need to make sure everything is in place."

Jason gawked at him, dumbfounded. How did one person take so much?

"What?" Leo asked.

"You have been up for - what, two days? - and you're _still _going to work on it, even if it is finished." Jason replied.

"Heck yes," Leo answered cheerily. Jason tried to detect anything false. He knew he wouldn't, though. Leo was too good an actor.

"Bed. Now." Piper ordered, grabbing his skinny wrist.

"Hey!" Leo yelped, recoiling, as if he'd been on fire at the moment. "Annabeth-"

"Will do absolutely nothing because you've already burned yourself out working on this ship. You can inspect it later." Piper interrupted.

"But-" Leo protested. Jason smirked as he watched the scene.

"No." Piper blatantly refused.

"Please?" Leo pleaded.

Piper smirked triumphantly. "No." She simply stated and dragged Leo across the room to the door.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. At least let me finish." Leo complained.

"I'm sorry. I can't help you here." Jason raised his hands in defeat.

"Open the door." Piper commanded.

"No. Not until I finish the ship inspection." Leo denied.

"Leo, you look like you've been pulled through Punishment by your hair." Jason noted. Leo grimaced, but Jason couldn't be too sure. He couldn't read people.

"Exactly." Piper waved her hands in Jason's direction.

"Fine." Leo griped. He slammed his hand on the rock wall, and Jason felt the heat coming from the wall spike. Red lines danced across the surface, creating a large arc before the slab of stone swung open onto a drenched forest and rolling thunder.

The light from Bunker 9 showed the three's shadows, Jason's tall one, Piper's curved one, and Leo's short and skinny one.

"Race you." Piper challenged.

Together, the three of them raced out into the forest.

**A/N: Done! What do you think? I wanted to make it happy, and from somebody else's view. Do you like?**


End file.
